A Frame Towing a Aixam 500 Diesel (CVT).. advice please! (1 Viewer)

Triang

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Hi all,

I want to tow my Aixam 500 Diesel on an A Frame (braking system added for safety) but I am getting conflicting information.

I am sure I have read that at least two MH towers have towed an Aixam over thousands of miles with no problem but I have also heard others saying an Aixam cannot be towed because it has a CVT transmission and although it can be put in "neutral" it is not a "real neutral" because the centrifugal clutch still causes the turning road wheels to turn the transmission and thus the engine too...or is it that the transmission still turns and this could implode after a several miles of towing???

Whatever at least one A Frame manufacturer/fitting company warns against A frame fitting to CVT transmissions ( but is Aixam different to Honda etc???)

Anyway my real question is anyone out there who HAS successfully towed an Aixam CVT vehicle please, please could you tell me of your experiences as this question is driving me bonkers!

Thanks!
 

jollyrodger

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I can remember years backat the Shelton Mallet show , a guy selling same complete with small trailer (£4000)or there abouts talking to him the question of buy just the car and then A frame it ,as you want too.His answer was don't do it.
As an aside I have a neighbour with one ,spends more time up in the air on His drive than on the road 3rd or 4th enging/box at the mo
No doubt others on here may tell you more .
Hope you find the solutions
 
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Triang

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Thanks Jollyroger - that's interesting - I wonder why the guy wouldn't "A frame it"??? I'd really like to know since I definitely read a couple of MH owners who did A Frame tow it and stated that they'd done it for hundreds of miles!!! Trouble is I can't find the threads now!

As for the Aixam ... I'm stuck with it!
I have had it for 2 years buying it cheaply from a friend for my daughter to use...never happened as she is not interested in getting a driving licence ( maybe it's because of the Aixam!!!)

I drive it about twice a week and do aboout 1500 miles a year in it, it has always been reliable only needing tyres and servicing --- maybe I'm the lucky one!

However I will say it reminds me of a BIC disposable razor (also French I think???) in that it's obvious that once it stops working (ie fuel , water pump, radiator pump etc decides not to work) then the best option is to chuck it! The engine is a pig to work on, the workshop manual is not much more detailed than the owners handbook(!) and there are no forums of owners to ask questions of.

From what I see to replace anything other than the oil filter or oil is an engine-out job... even to replace the fanbelt!!!

Anyway ... anyone out there with direct experience who can help me???

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pappajohn

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What I understand is......

The gearbox CANNOT drive the engine as the driven centrifugal clutch is on the engine and cannot engage if the engine isn't running.
There is no gearbox in the true sense...basically just an input shaft and output shaft in a box which will be oil splash lubricated....no driven pump as in a true automatic box.

The only thing I can see is belt wear as the belt will constantly turn and rub on the stationary engine clutch pulley.

Tap 'visit page' in the link below to see how it works.

https://goo.gl/images/61RivC
 

Autowbars

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Here is a tel no of a dealer in Newbury 01392 833301
call and ask them
 
Nov 2, 2014
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Have a look at eBay item 142048215783 is this not the same thing maybe worth asking the owner.

Chris

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Jul 29, 2007
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Same as a twist and go scooter, you can certainly feel the drag of the belt when you push them.
 
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Any sense of resistance to forward motion in neutral on a slight downhill means heat will be generated & the best first test would be to lift the rear wheels and turn them by hand. Or try pushing it forward on a flat surface. If these tests are OK why not try a long downhill in neutral? a problem with seeking advice from the 'professionals', dealerships, and the like is that they won't always admit to not knowing so will advise against it.
 

sallylillian

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I have had several Aixams. Always trailered them. Forget the gearbox issues put it up on a garage lift and look at the subframe. The tubular front sections resemble the size of a fold up chair. Stick it on an A frame and you would likely rip the front end off. That is if you could find an A frame company iresponsible enough to fit one.

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Triang

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Hi all - great replies thanks

Pappajohn ... informative vid - yes that makes sense - belt would be turning but in "idle" mode, sliping round the pulleys but not tight enough to "bite" ... still would incur wear though as you say.

Autotowbars - I did speak to a dealer (not that one) but ended up even more confused - he said it was alright to tow short distances (for recovery) as they often did that but did not know the effect of long hauls...

Chris - yes looks very similar calling the guy seems like a good idea although je says he never actually towed himself and changed his mind.

So I'm still trying to track someone who has done it!
 
Jul 29, 2007
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Have a look at eBay item 142048215783 is this not the same thing maybe worth asking the owner.

Chris

That's got a skeleton on the front seat, still waiting for breakdown service maybe?:)
 

Geo

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As a small independent Garage and MoT Testing Station, we're well into Motor Sport and associated fabricating etc, we have done many one off systems for A framing.
We have done vehicles from Bryan (Ex Admin) Jeep Commander, through to a (8 seater) Hi Jet Mini bus to classic Mini Coopers and Smart Cars

We have been asked to Equip an Axim for A framing .

We refused ,on the grounds of structural integrity,
Furniture standard tube and Box Sections would be the best description of the vehicle structure with the fibre glass body adding nothing to the equation, I also refuse to drive or road test them
I dont believe the transmition is or would be a problem not your biggest one anyway
The one Pictured seems to have been converted using a "Towtal" System, call them, maybe they did it? I dont know.
It's not a legal set up anyway without brakes, despite the Max weight being well under 700KG
as many on here already know if it has brakes, they must operate when being towed
This guy has it all to hand and abandoned the idea!! I would pay more attention and listen to what he's not saying.
Geo

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GWAYGWAY

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The slow speed of the vehicle would, when towed at 70 be nearly double that when running properly, the gearbox and belts would not like that and the drag will ruin the vans fuel useage.
A quadricycle is a car, for licencing so is my quad, bike license only valid for three wheels maximum.
 

sallylillian

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The slow speed of the vehicle would, when towed at 70 be nearly double that when running properly, the gearbox and belts would not like that and the drag will ruin the vans fuel useage.
A quadricycle is a car, for licencing so is my quad, bike license only valid for three wheels maximum.
Que?
 
Nov 4, 2011
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I've seen this type of car on special trailers that sits on the car chassis, which seems a good idea.

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sallylillian

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As a small independent Garage and MoT Testing Station, we're well into Motor Sport and associated fabricating etc, we have done many one off systems for A framing.
We have done vehicles from Bryan (Ex Admin) Jeep Commander, through to a (8 seater) Hi Jet Mini bus to classic Mini Coopers and Smart Cars

We have been asked to Equip an Axim for A framing .

We refused ,on the grounds of structural integrity,
Furniture standard tube and Box Sections would be the best description of the vehicle structure with the fibre glass body adding nothing to the equation, I also refuse to drive or road test them
I dont believe the transmition is or would be a problem not your biggest one anyway
The one Pictured seems to have been converted using a "Towtal" System, call them, maybe they did it? I dont know.
It's not a legal set up anyway without brakes, despite the Max weight being well under 700KG
as many on here already know if it has brakes, they must operate when being towed
This guy has it all to hand and abandoned the idea!! I would pay more attention and listen to what he's not saying.
Geo
As I said but with Gravitas.
 

GWAYGWAY

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The gearbox is a permanent connection that is made to rotate at the slowish speed the thing goes at the centrifugal clutch disconnects it from the engine. If it is towed the rear wheels drive the gearbox and if it went at a fast van speed the rotation of the clutch drum and belt will be a lot faster than design speed of 40-50, The high rotational sped might lead to a clutch burst from the centripetal forces or at least a belt melt.. Or am I mistaken as to the drive system??
 
Jul 29, 2007
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Whoosh !
Straight over my head with that.

How does a trailer sit on the chassis ?

I saw this a few years ago papa, the car sort of goes up and over and down, and the middle of the car sits on the trailer chassis directly over the wheels. As most of the weight is sitting over the wheels the trailer doesn't have to be so strong. Found a vid.:)

 
Nov 4, 2011
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Whoosh !
Straight over my head with that.

How does a trailer sit on the chassis ?
I probably didn't word it very well, the car doesn't sit on its own wheels on the trailer but the car chassis sits on the trailer and the trailer only look about half the length it would for a normal trailer.

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GWAYGWAY

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Looks a good idea better than an A frame as you could at least reverse it and it is legal, if below 750kgs all up.
 

pappajohn

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I saw this a few years ago papa, the car sort of goes up and over and down, and the middle of the car sits on the trailer chassis directly over the wheels. As most of the weight is sitting over the wheels the trailer doesn't have to be so strong. Found a vid.:)


Thanks Ian...doesnt look safe to me though.

But....I've been struggling to find a way to utilise the tipper function on my new twin axle trailer...too heavy to lift without a load, never mind loaded, as the tipper mechanism also lifts the front axle.
Same chassis as the single axle version which would tip aesily.

A heavy duty jockey wheel as in the video looks the way to go.
 
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The gearbox is a permanent connection that is made to rotate at the slowish speed the thing goes at the centrifugal clutch disconnects it from the engine. If it is towed the rear wheels drive the gearbox and if it went at a fast van speed the rotation of the clutch drum and belt will be a lot faster than design speed of 40-50, The high rotational sped might lead to a clutch burst from the centripetal forces or at least a belt melt.. Or am I mistaken as to the drive system??
Its a CVT transmission so doesn't have a clutch AFAIK.

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pappajohn

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Its a CVT transmission so doesn't have a clutch AFAIK.
Not in the normal sense, no.
But it has a clutch of a sort......two variable width pulleys, one on the engine is controlled by bob weights, similar to a mechanical speed governer, and springs...the other by springs alone.

See the video in post #4.
 
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I am aware of how CVTs work as I am on my 3rd car with one. What you describe is the equivalent of the gearbox AFAIK. It has no clutch in the sense of directly uncoupling the engine drive from the gearbox does it?
 
Nov 4, 2011
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This is the type of trailer, it's on the aire at the moment. The Aixam that goes on the trailer has a metal bracket half way down each sill, which I think is used to clamp car on trailer.
image.jpeg
image.jpeg
image.jpeg

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Jul 29, 2007
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I think from memory with the car on the whole unit weighs under 750kg.
Another vid which shows how it locks the car to the chassis at 1.10
 

Geo

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I think from memory with the car on the whole unit weighs under 750kg.
Another vid which shows how it locks the car to the chassis.



Your not wrong Ian
Under 600KG possibly
Car is 400KG in running trim trailer at a guess 150KG to 200KG Maximum
 
Jul 29, 2007
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I did get the wife interested in one Geo, until she saw one in a Tesco carpark.:LOL:

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